Unless you’ve been living in a tech-free bubble for the past decade, you’re probably familiar with the concept of the unboxing video.
Common since Internet video-sharing site YouTube became popular, the archetypal unboxing video documents the almost ceremonial removal of a new computer, gadget or must-have consumer product from the box it arrives in.
Now we can add a car to the list of things you can officially unbox, thanks to a tongue-in-cheek viral ad campaign from Volvo for its V60 Diesel Plug-in Hybrid Wagon
Giving a nod to the well-known concept that many early-adopting plug-in vehicle owners are tech-savvy geeks, Volvo decided to place its plug-in hybrid wagon inside a giant box, and then unbox it.
Volvo’s first plug-in hybrid car, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid Wagon combines a five-cylinder, 2.3-liter, 215 horsepower diesel engine with a through-the-road 50-kilowatt hybrid drivetrain.
Combined with a 12 kilowatt-hour battery pack capable of providing up to 30 miles of all-electric driving at speeds of up to 62 mph, Volvo claims the plug-in wagon can achieve a mixed-mode gas mileage figure in excess of 124 mpg on the European test cycle.
Filmed in an all-white photo studio similar to the one used in Apple’s Mac Vs. PC ads, a team of immaculately-dressed Volvo engineers head towards a large blue box, complete with white Volvo writing.
They then proceed to undo the box, taking note to remove the styrofoam upper portion containing owners’ manual, power lead and other accessories.
Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid Unboxing Video
Sliding apart the lower styrofoam packaging to reveal the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid, the team of engineers then make one final pass around the virgin car, removing the obligatory clear plastic wrappers any gadget fan will be familiar with.
At the end of the video, the voice-over invites us to "keep an eye out for my other Volvo unboxing videos,” suggesting this is the first in a line of new ads from Volvo.
The advert is certainly novel, but we have to admit we prefer driving the Volvo V-60 Plug-in Hybrid Wagon to unboxing it.
As for unboxing your own Volvo V-60 Plug-in Hybrid? Sadly, Volvo has no plans to bring its diesel plug-in hybrid wagon to the U.S., but has already started work on a U.S. equivalent: the XC60 Gasoline Plug-in Hybrid Crossover SUV.
It's unlikely it will come in a box.
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